The Broken Pieces of Me
by Emmett's Only Angel
Summary: Rosalie Hale-King has spent the past five years building her perfect life with her husband, Royce, and there children. Until the abuse starts. She can't see a way out until she meets Emmett McCarty, the new single father in town.
1. Chapter 1

_**Summary: Rosalie Hale-King has spent the past five years building her perfect life with her husband, Royce, and there children; four year old Jack and six month old Elizabeth. One thing she didn't plan on was the abuse. She can't see a way out until she meets Emmett McCarty, the new single father in town. **_

"_Forget it!" I scream because I don't know what else to do. There's nothing else to say here but to make a choice. I could walk out the door right now and never look back, or stay here, with the empty promises that he'll stop. I look around at the broken things laying on the floor, dents in the walls, bruises on my arms. This decision wouldn't only be for me, but for the one person I care the most about, my son. _

"Mommy, Mommy!" my son, Jack ran into the room I shared with my husband, Royce. "You have to get up! Kindergarten starts today!"

A groan came from the other side of the bed. "Jack, it's five in the morning. Mommy will wake you up in two hours!"

I looked down to see a heart-broken four year-old standing an inch away from my side of the bed. "Come on sweetie. Let's go watch Wonder Dogs until it's time to get ready for school." slowly, I slipped out of bed and grabbed my sons hand.

"Rosalie, get back in bed. He needs to learn not to disturb us." Royce growled.

I bent down so I was eye level with a miniature version of the man I fell in love with. "Jack, sweetie, why don't you go turn on the television? Mommy will be in in one second." I kissed the four year olds blonde head just before he scurried off out of the room.

"He's never going to listen to me if you keep doing this." Royce looked at me as I pulled out a pair of jeans from the dresser that was half mine.

"Royce, Jack is my son too. I'm home with him more and I know how he acts and the appropriate measures to take when he misbehaves."

Suddenly his arms were around my waist, a light kiss placed on the base of my neck. "Rosie, baby, come back to bed. It doesn't feel the same without you."

"We have a hyperactive four year old and a six month old baby who will be up in less than an hour anyway. Go back to sleep. I'll wake you up around six thirty." I turned around and kissed his cheek then slipped out of his grip and into the bathroom to get ready for the long day ahead.

...

"Rosalie!" Royce shouted storming down the stairs. "I thought I told you I wanted my _blue _tie _washed!" _he screamed.

I knew that voice. "Jack, sweetie, go get dressed."

"You can't do anything right!" Royce screamed at me as he made his way around the kitchen island. "You're the most incompetent person to ever walk the face of the earth!"

A second later I was pinned against the refrigerator, Royce's hand around my throat. "I-I'm s-s-sorry!" Elizabeth's crying filled the background and it took all my strength to run to her and scoop the screaming child, _my _screaming child, into my arms and comfort her.

He scoffed and released me. "Shut that screaming brat up and take my son to school." He disappeared out of the room and I cringed when I heard the front door slam.

"Mommy, are you and daddy fighting?" Jack appeared in the kitchen doorway, power ranger backpack on his back, toy dinosaur in hand.

I gently picked up Elizabeth and held her gently in one arm, pulling my worried son into my other arm. "No daddy was just having a tantrum. Now let's get this big boy off to his first day of kindergarten!"

I took a deep breath and followed my little boy out to our car. I knew better to not break down in front of my children, even Elizabeth knew when her mommy was having a breakdown, even when she probably didn't even know what that is.

...

"Look, mommy! There's my school!" Jack shouted from the backseat.

"I know baby!" I pulled into a parking space and collected my exuberant children out of the backseat. Somewhere between my opening their door and turning my back on him to get Elizabeth, Jack ran off. "Jack, sweetie, stay with mommy for now!"

"You've got a little rascal on your hands." a voice came from the car next to mine.

"He's four." I reply as I shut the door and put my keys in my pocket.

"I'm Emmett McCarty, the new kindergarten teacher. Is this one of my new students?" the person behind the voice appeared from behind a beat-up station wagon and held his hand out.

I flinched from natural instinct but recovered quickly. "Rosalie King. And yes, that's Jack."

"Pleasure to meet you. And you too, young lady." he held his hand out to Elizabeth. "Not one for shaking hands? That's okay."

"Well, we better get inside, then?" he smiled and ushered me forward into the small, one-story building.

"Ms. Hale, if you don't mind my asking, how did you get all those bruises?" Emmett asked as I followed Jack threw the front door.

"Oh, I tripped over something and landed on a bunch of Jacks toys." I said calmly. A total lie.

"Mommy, will you stay with me?" Jack asked as we reached his classroom.

"Sweetie, mommy and Lizzy have to go home." I bent down so I was eye level with him. "But be good, okay?"

He nodded and kissed my cheek, then kissed Elizabeth's head gently. "You're the best mommy ever."

I smiled and gave him one last hug. "I love you sweetie."

"I love you too mommy." and with that my little baby walked into his first real classroom.

"Wow, I've never heard a child talk like that on the first day of school. You must be a great mom." Emmett, who I hadn't noticed standing in the doorway, said with a smile.

"Well he's a sweet kid. I'd better be going. I'll pick him up at two."

"Hey, Rosalie? It was great to meet you. And you too, little lady." he smiled at Elizabeth.

"You too."

_**A/N: Hey guys, I know I have yet to update my new story, but I totally have writers bloke with it, so hopefully that'll be updated soon. So if you liked this beginning please click the little button underneath that says review! **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight**_

"Hey mommy." Jack said as he walked out the front door of his school.

"Hey sweetie, how was your day?" I asked as I took his hand in mine and turned to start walking back to the car.

"Wait, Mrs. King, could I please talk to you?" Mr. McCarty called from behind us.

"Sure, Mr. McCarty." I said, hoisting Elizabeth up on my hip.

"Please, call me Emmett. I've noticed some changes in Jack. He's been more quiet, less sociable with the other children." he paused, giving me a minute to process the information. "Is there anything going on at home? I don't mean to be nosey, but this serious change in a short amount of time is very troubling."

"Mr. McCarty, Emmett, I appreciate the concern, I really do, but Jack is fine." I said, holding my sons hand tighter. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"Mrs. King, if you ever need to talk to me, here's my number." he handed me a business card.

_That's rather fast. _I thought. _Jack's only been in his class for about a month. _

"Please call me Rosalie, and that's very kind, but I think that's a little too… ambiguous, don't you think?"

"Rosalie, it's no more then a professional gesture. I'm a parent also, and I would appreciate if my daughters teacher would even think of making such a gesture."

"You don't know my husband." I pulled Jacks hand and walked back to the car. "Listen, sweetie, daddy can't know about this, okay?" I said as I buckled him in the car seat.

"Why will daddy hurt you?" he asked, looking at me with his fathers eyes.

"Maybe, there's no way of predicting what daddy would do. But will you keep this a little secret from daddy?"

"Sure mommy." he said and hugged me. "I love you."

"I love you too sweetie." I kissed his head and closed his car door.

….

"You're late." Royce said from the sofa in the den.

"Sweetie, we picked up dinner." I kissed his head and handed him Elizabeth. "I called your cell phone but you didn't answer."

He smiled at his daughter then looked at me. "Rosie, sweetie, I need to talk to you. Jack, why don't you go set the table, buddy?"

"Sure thing, daddy." he ran into the dinning room.

I sat down on the love seat across from were Royce sat.

"Rosalie, you know I love you, more than anything." he paused a second to shift Elizabeth in his arms. "I know I hurt you Rose, I need to stop. I promise to stop, from right now."

I took a deep breath and counted in my head how many times we had this conversation. _Maybe just one more chance won't hurt. _"Okay, now, let's go eat."


	3. Chapter 3

_I lay on the floor, fighting the urge to close my eyes because I knew if I did there was a good chance I wouldn't open them again for a very long time. Pain radiated threw my body, starting from my abdomen. _

"_Mommy! Mommy please wake up!" Jack shook my side, causing the pain to surge through my body at a quicker pace. _

"_Jack, baby, can you… get the phone for mommy?" I tired to sound as calm as possible. The little boy ran over to the shattered glass coffee table and grabbed the white receiver, then raced back to the middle of the room where I lay, barely able to stay conscious. I watched as my only son dropped to his knees and took the receiver when he nervously shoved it at me. Then, instead of calling the police or an ambulance, I called the only person I trusted right now. _

_**One Day Earlier**_

"Rosalie?" Emmett asked as I walked Jack to the front door of his kindergarten. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Jack, sweetie, have a good day, okay?" I bent down so I was eye level with him and we went through the seemingly ceremonial stages of the early morning goodbyes. I watched as the boy I raised for almost five years walk so independently into the school building. "Now, what did you need to talk about?"

"Well, it seems as though my daughter and Jack have become really great friends. And with us being new here it's very hard to make friends, for the both of us. I was wondering if you, Jack, and Elizabeth would like to come over Saturday? Jack and Rebecca can play and we could talk or something?"

"Sure, I'd like that." I smiled and held Elizabeth closer to my body.

"Of course, your husband can come," he smiled. "I didn't want to sound a little ambiguous, as you put it."

I laughed. "Well, we will see you after school."

….

"Well, I don't think that's the best idea." Royce stabbed his meat loaf with a fork. For the past few days since he made his promise, Royce has done a pretty good job of keeping it.

"Royce, sweetie, it's just a play date for Jack. Besides, their new in town and don't know a lot of people. Jack, honey, eat your carrots."

"Rosalie, he's a single father, I grew up with a single father and I know how they are and frankly, I don't want you to fall for his lovey dovey crap and I don't want my son exposed to that." he put his fork down and looked at me.

"It's not like he didn't invite you, he knows I'm married and doesn't seem like the type to try to actuate an extra-marital affair! Royce, it's for _Jack_. Besides, he's new and just needs a few friends, that's all."

"Love, you're beautiful, sweet, charming, I doubt all he wants to do is _talk._"

I sighed. "Fine, then. I'll invite them over here, you can watch the game on television, work on the car, whatever you want to do, Jack can play, and Emmett and I can sit in the dining room or the kitchen or the den and talk or have some coffee of something."

"Fine." Royce got up and started clearing the table. "I'll do the dishes tonight, darling."

"No, it's okay. Go spend some time with Jack." I got up and started copying his previous actions. "And could you put Elizabeth in her little bouncy play thing on wheels?"

"Rosalie. I said I'll do it." he looked into my eyes. I flinched when I saw the tiniest hint of annoyance, a hint I knew that could, and probably would, turn into anger at any moment.

"Okay, just let me know if you need any help. Jack, let's go get a bath."

…

_**The Next Day**_

"Well hello, Rosalie. Rebecca, say hello to Mrs. King." Emmett smiled and gently squeezed at the little girls hand. "I'm sorry, she's rather shy."

"It's quiet understandable, please come in." I moved out of the way to let them through the front door.

"Hey Becca!" Jack ran into the room. "I got a new pack of Yu-Gi-Oh!, cards! Wanna see?"

"Sure!" the little girl released her fathers hand and followed Jack up the stairs.

"Emmett, I would like you to meet my husband, Royce. Royce, this is Emmett McCarty." I put my hand encouragingly on my husbands back.

Royce shook Emmett's hand suspiciously. "Rosalie, I'll be in the living room if you need me." he never took his hostile eyes off Emmett. "And she better not need me."

"He's quite the charmer." Emmett said as he sat down in the Lay-Z-Boy in the den.

I laughed quietly. "He's just… protective, that's all. Can I get you anything? We have coffee, tea, water, five varieties of juice, we're basically like the Wal-Mart of beverages."

He smiled and shook his head. "No, I'm fine for right now, thank you."

"So, if you don't mind my asking, what happened to your wife?"

"Ally and I had been having a few issues, they weren't really that serious… anyway, to make a long story short, I came home one day, her stuff was gone and there was a note. A week or so later I got served with the papers." I saw the pain in his face.

"I'm so sorry…" I said and reached over and gently put my hand overtop him. "That's so terrible."

"But you know what's worse? Even though Rebecca was only one and a half, she deserved a good-bye from her mother, or a call once in a while." he shook his head.

"I know. What kind of mother can just abandon a child like that?"

"Mommy!" Jack ran into the room. "Can we play with the Play Dough?"

"Promise mommy you won't eat it again?" I asked, looking at an identical copy of my husband.

"Pwamis." he held out his pinky.

I took it in mine and smiled. "Okay. Emmett, I'll be right back."

"What the hell was that?" Royce growled as I walked into the kitchen.

"What was what, sweetie?" I asked, getting the box of play dough from the cabinet over the refrigerator.

"You holding hands with him!" Royce turned me around and held me by my throat against the refrigerator. "Is there something going on here I'm missing?"

"Royce, no I swear!" I said frantically as he tightened his grip.

"Daddy stop!" Jack yelled from where he stood against the wall.

"Jack, sweetie, go play with Rebecca." I said, fighting for air.

"No, mommy! He's hurting you again! Daddy you promised you would stop!" Jack cried.

Suddenly Emmett was in the doorway. "Is everything okay in here?"

"Get out of my house! Stay away from my wife and son, stay away from my fucking dog! You have no business here!" Royce released his grip on my throat and started toward him.

"Mr. King, you have every right to feel territorial over your family, but I have no interest in Rosalie as nothing more then a friend and a fellow parent. I respect the boundaries of family, and would never cross them, and neither would Rosalie." Emmett put his hands up as a sign of surrender.

"Get. Out!" Royce shoved him toward the door.

"Mr. King, please do not put your hands on me." Emmett said calmly. Royce didn't let up, he only shoved harder. It didn't even seem like a second had past before Royce was laying on the kitchen floor unconscious, and Emmett had a shocked look on his face.

"Rosalie, I'm so sorry…"

"You should go…" I put my forehead on my head and leaned against the refrigerator.

"How long has this been going on?" Emmett walked over to me.

"Please… please just go… this was a mistake…"

"Mr. McCarty, will you be my new daddy? I like you much better then him." Jack pointed to Royce's unconscious body.

"Jack, sweetie, can you go get Rebecca?" I asked quietly, shutting my eyes. This was too much.

"Look, Rosalie, I respect your privacy, but I also know this probably wasn't the first time he did this." he gently picked up my arm and looked at the yellowing bruises.

I flinched away. "Please, leave. I'm sorry…"

He put something on the island as he backed up. "That's my number. Call me any time you need anything, even someone to talk too. I'll always be here…"

"Daddy, why do we have to go so soon?" Rebecca asked as her and Jack entered the kitchen.

"I forgot I left to oven on at home, sweetie." Emmett grabbed her hand. "I'll see you later, Jack. Rosalie, please remember what I said…"

And with that he was gone, and it was all over.

….

"Rosalie," Royce walked into the living room where I sat, watching Scooby-Doo with Jack. "Jack would you please go to your room." After Jack hesitantly scurried up the stairs, Royce continued. "I'm so sorry… I don't know what got into me back there. I promise that will never, ever happen again… I love you so, so much."

"Forget it!" I scream because I don't know what else to do. There's nothing else to do here but to make a choice. I could walk out the door right now and never look back, or stay here, with the empty promises that he'll stop. "I can't do this anymore, Royce! I mean, look around!" I look around at the broken things laying on the floor, dents in the walls, bruises on my arms. This decision wouldn't only be for me, but for the people I care the most about, my children. "We need to go. Jack!" I called up the stairs. "Get your stuff!"

"You're not going anywhere!" he screamed and threw me into the glass table when I tried to stand up.

"You're a monster, Royce!" I struggled to my feet. "And we can't take it anymore!"

"Forget it, go wherever you want!" Royce stormed through the door that lead to the garage. I knew this wasn't a good sign. I ran up the stairs to my daughters room and grabbed her out of the crib, then ran into my sons room and locked the door. "Sweetie, you can grab three toys. You have four seconds. Go!" I stuffed some of his clothes into a duffle bag picked the baby up and we all raced down the stairs.

"Do you really think you can just run from me, Rosalie?" Royce twirled the shot gun around his finger and leaned against the front door.

Just in case, I handed Elizabeth to Jack. "Careful with her, sweetie." I whisper as I let go of her. "Royce, please don't…"

"No, because you're just going to run off to Emmett's house!" he smirked and aimed it at my stomach. "Now, this isn't going to kill you, well, it probably won't, but it'll damn sure keep you from having more children. Because if you're leaving me, I'm going to take away something as big as you're taking away from me."

…

I lay on the floor, fighting the urge to close my eyes because I knew if I did there was a good chance I wouldn't open them again for a very long time. Pain radiated threw my body, starting from my abdomen.

"Mommy! Mommy please wake up!" Jack shook my side, causing the pain to surge through my body at a quicker pace.

"Jack, baby, can you… get the phone for mommy?" I tired to sound as calm as possible. The little boy ran over to the shattered glass coffee table and grabbed the white receiver, then raced back to the middle of the room where I lay, barely able to stay conscious. I watched as my only son dropped to his knees and took the receiver when he nervously shoved it at me. Then, instead of calling the police or an ambulance, I called the only person I trusted right now.

"Hello?" Emmett's drowsy voice filled the other side of the receiver.

"Emmett, we're in big trouble…"


	4. Chapter 4

I don't remember what happened. All I do remember is waking up in the hospital with Emmett sitting in the corner of the room holding Elizabeth and Jack was curled up on the bottom of my bed.

"Hey, look, there's mommy." Emmett smiled a little and walked over to my bed, tilting Elizabeth so she could see me.

"Wha-what happened?" I tried to sit up, but the pain was so severe I collapsed.

"Just stay there, its okay." Emmett handed me Elizabeth, who was starting to stir. "He shot you, Rosalie." he said in a hushed voice, most likely so Jack couldn't hear.

Suddenly the memories came rushing back. Jack sobbing, begging me not to go; the broken shards of glass in my arms and legs from where he threw me through the table. "What happened to him?"

"He's dead, Rosalie."

Shock flooded over me, masking the pain my body was feeling. Sure he used to throw me around and hurt me, but I still loved him; I chose to spend the rest of my life with him, and he was the father of my children.

And now he's gone.

….

Three days later and I was released from the hospital, and I had to make some decisions.

I opened the front door to our house, expecting to see the worst: blood stains, broken pieces of various objects, bullet shells. But instead, when I opened the door, it was absolutely spotless, even the dents in the wall where Royce used to throw me against where plastered over. Jack walked over to a patch of carpet that didn't exactly match the rest of it, and started sobbing.

"Mommy," he said threw sobs. "This is where you were."

I gently set Elizabeth in her crib and walked over to my baby boy. I scooped him up and held him as tight to me as I could. "It's okay, baby." I rocked him back and forth. "He's never gonna hurt us again."

"Mommy, I don't wanna live here anymore."

"We're not sweetie, tomorrow we'll find a place of our own, I promise."

"After school?" Jack whipped away his tears and attached his legs around my waist.

"You wanna go to school tomorrow? Of course, baby." I glanced at the clock. "It's time for bed, we've had a rough couple of days.

For a while the three of us laid in Jack's big boy bed, even when I knew my babies where asleep. It was over, but the trauma was still there, in my poor son, and in my daughter. I told myself I was a good mother and I could get threw this and heal my kids, but I had to believe it before my kids would.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Yes, I know it's been a while, but I hope this makes up for lost time. You can tell me how mean I am in the reviews :P**_

**__**"Have a good day baby. If you need mommy or want to come home just have Mr. McCarthy call mommy and I'll come get you right away, okay?" I held onto my little boy as tight as I could. The pain in my abdomen stung but I wasn't concerned about that, just my children.

"Mommy that place isn't home." my son said flatly while hugging me tight.

"I know sweetie, but that was the last time you'll ever be there. Me and Lizzy are going to pack up today and then come get you." the pain was making me lightheaded but I didnt want to let go of my son.

"I don't want you there, mommy. Or Lizzie." I whiped the tears away that were starting to form in my sons eyes and kissed his head.

"Jakypoo, have a good day, mommy and Lizzie will be okay, and well see you at three."

Jack kissed my cheek and kissed Elizabeth, who almost got crushed by the tightness of the hug. "I love you mommy, and I love you Lizzie."

"Rosalie! Thank goodness, I thought I had missed you!" Emmett ran out of the school building and skidded to a stop in front of my children and I. "Jack, my man!" he high fived Jack, who hinted at a smile and high fived him back.

"Bye mommy, I love you more than anyfing." Jack said and gave me one last hug beforewalking into school. The only difference between today and any other school morning was that when Jack got to the door, he turned around and waved before he disappeard into the hustle and bustle of kindergarten.

"How is he holding up?" Emmett asked, watching Elizabeth play with my hair.

"He's... He's trying to be strong for me, and I hate that." that was true. Since the time we had come home from the hospital I hadn't seem him cry once. He tried his best to make me feel better, but it wasn't fair to him.

"How is he at... Home?" he used that word tentatively.

"We just can't stay there anymore. We're packing up today, but I don't know where we can go; Royce refused to save any money. He was convinced I was going to steal all the money and take off with the kids." I sighed. This was just too much too fast. All at once I was a broke single mom with nowhere to live.

"Look, Rosalie, I know what you're going threw. I'm not trying to hit on you, I just want to help." he paused, seeming to search for his words. "You need a place to stay, and I have a big house. You can't go to work, you have Elizabeth."

I mulled over the thought. Emmett was a sweet man, and he hadn't tried to hit on me since I met him. "I guess just until I get on my feet. Thank you so much,"

Emmett handed me a key and a piece of paper. "My phone is on all day if you want to call. Make yourselves at home, and don't worry about Jack, I'll bring him home."

"Thank you." I hoisted Elizabeth higher on my hip and she giggled. "Ill see you at three, then."

"See you then." he smiled.

After strapping Elizabeth into her carseat, I, for the last time, drove the route to the house I shared with the man that, at one point, I wanted to spend every second of everyday with.

**_Okay my lovelies, _****_press that little button and tell me what you thought!_**


	6. Chapter 6

"Alright Elizabeth, where are we going to start?" I asked as I unlocked the door to our old life. "Should we start in Jacks room?" I grabbed Elizabeth's pack'n'play and walked up the stairs, ignoring the pictures of Royce, me, and our children that where nailed into the white walls.

As I maneuvered around my sons room grabbing his clothes and toys, I realized something I never had: Royce wasnt in any of the pictures. There were pictures of him and I when he was a baby, of Elizabeth and him, the three of us, and a more recentone of him and I sitting on the lawn, my arms wrapped securely around him, but none had Royce in them.

Elizabeth and I scurried around the upstairs rooms collecting clothes, toys, and pictures of the kids and I. As I worked, I debated whether I should take some pictures of Royce, seeing as though he is the father of my children. Someday when they're older, they'll want to see what their father looked like, how he was before he... Changed. Without another thought on the matter, I grabbed all of the photo albums and put them in the pile of bags by the door. Now begins the work of loading it all in the car.


	7. Chapter 7

It was around four when I pulled up to Emmett's house, his old station wagon was already in the driveway. As I pulled in I noticed Emmett, Jack, and Rebecca sitting on the little side patio playing a game. A smile spread across Emmett's face and he nudged Jack, who got up and ran over to me with a smile I hadn't seen in a long time. A smile that could only be described as childhood. One that showed he wasn't worried about anything, he was just happy to be a kid.

"Welcome home, mommy!" Jack smiled as he jumped into my arms.

I smiled against my sons hair and squeezed him. "Welcome to our new life, Jacky."


End file.
